Malicious Compliance

For lower paying jobs there's usually no distinction - sick and vacation days are lumped into "PTO" (paid time off) and you're lucky to get 2 weeks worth a year - usually by earning one every X days or just all at once time once a year.

Places often have an attendance "points system" as well where any absences not pre-approved chat you a point a day and after 5 or something you're fired. If you're lucky an excused (doctor note) will count the whole absence as only one point. You can only regain points after X days without an unexcused absence, or using some other metric. Often being late by some amount also costs a point.

Basically the whole thing is designed to let them fire you with cause, because someone who's chronically calling out sick affects their bottom line. Right to work states fucking over the little guys yet again. Unions? Never heard of her. Legally exempt from this part at least are your 3 grievance leave days per dead immediate family member, so generous, and anything related to the ADA. Though they don't have to pay you for the first week of ADA time so gawd help you if you have a chronically episodic disability and not just a long stretch of time for say an injury.

Yeah working in America suuuuuucks.